The Rally Car Build With Italian Flair – Brandenburg’s Gallardo

I’ve always been a huge fan of watching rally and listening to the sound of glorious motors screaming near redline whilst thundering through the wilderness or mountain passes. Spectators would be precariously be perched on makeshift “viewzones” and witness the machines fly through sections and blinding speeds separated by nothing more than a mere bright yellow caution line. When I launched apexjunky, a mutual friend added Michael’s car to group. I’d never really seen someone build a Lambo Rally car before, so it’s with great pleasure that I finally bring to light a Lamborghini Gallardo that does something other than get detailed every month and get the attention at a Cars and Coffee Meet.

What type of car do you have (mod list later on in the questionnaire)?

Brandenburg’s Gallardo in full livery

It was a 2006 Lamborghini Gallardo in another life 😉 we had to get a 2004 > 2008 Gallardo because in 2009 they raised the motor size by 400 CC which made it illegal to rally in America, we’re legal by 200 CC give or take.

We have to ask a question that I’m sure you’ve heard many times before: In a world the world of Rally, brands like Mitsubishi, Subaru, even BMW come to mind, but Lamborghini not so much. What opted you to build this car, let alone for Rally.

I’m a little bit crazy and I’ve always loved exotic cars, I had a Ferrari F430 as a daily and on the way home from a rally I thought “I can daily this Ferrari or sell it and rally a Bull” I sold the Ferrari a few weeks later.

A lot of people give their cars nicknames/actual names. Do the Lambo have one?

The Brakimghini

Mod List! Let’s have it!

Inside, it’s all business in this Rally Lamborghini

I couldn’t even attempt to tackle a mod list for a gravel spec rally Lamborghini lol lets just say its unusual and the only factory bits remaining will be motor and trans, and they are fairly redesigned as well.

Every component of the suspension is custom so that we could get the travel we needed for a gravel spec rally car, the vehicle’s factory suspension travel was around 3 inches, we’re over 8 inches of travel on 4 corners now I believe.

What was the biggest “surprise” obstacle you faced when you worked on the car (as in what was maybe supposed to have been an easy task but ended up being a pretty huge undertaking)?

I don’t think we’ve faced the most challenging day of the build yet, we will be running it for the first time in March if all goes to plan, at that time I expect we may face a few new challenges.

How much tire testing did you end up doing before going with the right size that made the car feel like it was in its’ “sweet” spot?

I don’t have an answer for this yet but to be honest our tire choices are limited in gravel rally and I always try to go with the best which from my experience testing tires is definitely Pirelli. No, I’m not sponsored by Pirelli although that would be just great. HEY PIRELLI! 🙂

Let’s talk suspension. Given the geometry what do you think is one thing the car could do better (i.e. sweepers, hairpins, transients)?

The Brakimghini will be great at doing all of the above, very sideways, very fast on any surface.

What would you say the car’s primary strength is?

The insane amount of power that motor can deliver for a gravel stage rally car is absurd, we’re looking at the kind of power that the top banned Group B cars had.

Before the build….hooning a Lamborghini? Why not?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxEyKP2wZLw

Given the supporting motor upgrades, has it been fairly reliable given the severe punishment it goes through?

Testing yet to be completed.

A powerful V10 car must not be kind on gas, especially if it’s tuned and using race gas. Does this affect your “attack” on a said course in the interest of fuel conservation?

We’ll do whatever is necessary to make it capable of carrying enough fuel needed but obviously I do think some attention has to be paid to fuel consumption, especially in this beast.

How has this car fared against the competition in the class you run this car in? Would you consider this a competitive car in the class?

We’ll see soon, I believe it will be very competitive.

Are there any sponsors you would like to acknowledge for their assistance in getting your car to the way that it is?

The insane amount of power that motor can deliver for a gravel stage rally car is absurd, we’re looking at the kind of power that the top banned Group B cars had.

This insane dream build literally WOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE without the amazing partnership and full support each of these sponsors has offered us along the way;

Rally.Build

Millers Oils

VAC Motorsports

Gorilla Offroad Company

Beyond Protective Coatings

Headlight Revolution

AiM Sports

EVO Corse Racing Wheels

One Soul Graphics

Thompson Racing Fabrication

Orafol

BRAID Wheels

Do you feel as though the car needs further development or is at the pinnacle of it’s performance within it’s class?

I don’t think I’ll ever have a competition car that doesn’t require further development, pushing the build to new limits is one of the best parts of all this.